Marianne Brisebois has this undeniable talent for drawing characters with fine lines that seem larger than life.
The author (Except Sam is dead, Some solitudes) sign Balconies, a psychological novel whose depth is revealed throughout the pages. We follow the tormented Xavier; we don’t know why and how, but his suffering is palpable. He spends his days on the balcony of his new roommate Eli, an original and singular being, wondering, perhaps, what it would be like to jump down. The metaphor of the balcony, this in-between which is “not really part of the house”, which is “half public, half an exit” well represents the life of Xavier, who never really had a house to call home. him.
There is her ex and still a great friend, Mag, who is now experiencing true love with Marilou, but we realize, as the painful breach of memories opens, that this breakup is only the tip of the iceberg. Skillfully, Marianne Brisebois succeeds in tackling subjects as diverse as family disorders, psychological distress, student protests, toxic relationships, mourning, without forgetting the #metoo movement, which here takes on an unexpected, disturbing resonance.
But what really carries this book is this magnificent friendship that develops between two beings at opposite ends of the spectrum, Xav and Eli, and how finding an ally who loves us unconditionally, to whom we can confide the heavy secrets that weigh us down, can make possible the idea that one day, repair will be possible.
Balconies
Hurtubise
248 pages